Brief Hands-On Report--Apple iPod Software Update 2005-02-22

Late yesterday after the release of the new iPod mini and photo lineups, Apple released an updater for the software in the original, Gen 2 and Gen 3 iPods, the iPod mini and the iPod shuffle. The update does not apply to Gen 4 (click wheel) iPods.

According to the Read Me file, iPod software update 2005-02-22 delivers the following software:

iPod shuffle software 1.1 (for iPod shuffle)

• Support for iPod shuffle Battery Pack
  
• Increased software stability
  

iPod mini software 1.3 (for iPod mini)

• Support for second-generation iPod mini
  
• Support for charging and syncing over USB with Mac OS X v10.2.8 or 10.3.4 or later
  

iPod software 2.3 (for 3rd Generation iPod with dock connector)

• Shuffle Songs selection in Main Menu
  
• Music menu item in Main Menu
  
• Support for iTunes 4.7 and later
  

iPod software 1.5 (for Touch Wheel and Scroll Wheel iPod)

• Shuffle Songs selection in Main Menu
  
• Music menu item in Main Menu
  
• Support for iTunes 4.7 and later
  

iPod software update 2005-02-22 contains the same software versions as iPod software update 2005-01-11 for all other iPod models.

We downloaded and installed the update on our original 5GB iPod, iPod mini I, and 512MB iPod shuffle. No problems were encountered with updating any of the iPods. Of all the updates we can confirm that v1.5 added "music" to the main menu and "Shuffle songs" to the main menu and Settings menu of our original iPod and that it now shuffles songs randomly.